Electric-current controller



57 l I an 37 40 ml-lllllh E- 55 40 May 25 1926. 1,585,988

G. HESSE ELECTRIC CURRENT CONTROLLER Filed May 9.1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4a lllllllwllllllllllfllfi 55 51 v LIJ I BY v IIYki'NTOR.

ATTORNEY;

May 25 1926.

G. HESSE ELECTRIC CURRENT CONTROLLER Filed May 9-. 1924 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE HESSE; OELO'S'ANGELES, CAIZIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TOTEIAECTRIG SIGNFLASHER CORBORATION,. O12. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ELEGTRIGC'URBENT CONTROLLER.

' Application. filed May 9,

My invention relates, primarily, to means for controlling the current-of. electric flash signs; and) the. object thereof isto; produce a. device: by means of which the time in which an electric flash signwill be active or inactive willlbeautomatical'lycontrolled. A further object isto produce. a device in which such times of activity and. inactivity can be easily changed; While device is primarily designed. for electric. flash signs,

dorn'ot; restrict myself? to that use. as it is adapted-tor. any useiw-here; it iswdesired: to regularly make and break. an electric, circuit.

the: drawings: forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a. front. elevation of. my con troller-applied; to aflasher-si-gn circuit at. the

closure oi the. solenoid. circuit;

Fig. 2: is a. central longitudinalr section, with. someoii the pants: inelevation, of the controller atter the solenoid: circuit. is fully in. operation,; the. circuits; being: omitted;

Fig; 3 is; a: side elevation; with. parts in sec:- tion: and. partly broken: away of. the controllerg, the circuitsv being: active-but. omitted;-

Fig; 4; is; a front. elevatiom; with parts broken. away-and: parts omitted, showing the device: as the solenoid circuit is about to be opened.;.,

Fig; 5: is: a front elevationwith. part-s broken..away' .and parts omitted after the solenoid circuit; is; opened.

My device; consists of a. Vessel 1.0 of: suitable. material, and; preferably circular in cross sectionti n which is a suitable. liquid preferably il-,,11. To the; top of vessel 19 is secured. a pierced cover. 12: of insulating materialthrouglr which projects; a non-mag.- netic. cylinder 13 which extends tonear. the bottomof 10. the-bottomoi 13- is secured a valve casing 14 having; an. inlet port 1. 5 in tllfifblOttOHl:tl161'13Q1i,.WlllClI when the device is inactive is; closed. by. ball valve 116;, 'Pin 17 prevents; 16 v from rising: out of 1d when the device is operating. other form of valve may be used. to control port. 15. but 1 prefer'the ball as it. issimplest. Above port is.- an outlet port. 181which' controlled by Valve. 19 which is screwed through the 1924.. Serial; No.- 712,110.

low-er endof. lever 20., Lever 20. rockably mounted in bearing 2L secured upon the lower end. of 13.. A. spring; 22 is secured. to and passes around 13. and holds 19- to close port 18.. In the side of- 10- is. ascrew 23. which engages the upperend of. 20 so.- as to regulate 19 to open port 18 to permit a flow 0t oil therethrough as hereafter ex plained. Near cover 12,. cylinder 13 is provided. with a: number oi perforations, 24 best shown in Fig. i, whichpermit oil to escape therefrom when the device is being operated. 'These. ports may be protected by a tubular deflector. 25: to. deflect. downwardly the. oil passing out oi the ports, A coil of insulated wire. is wound. around cylinder 13 between. cover 1 2 and-end plate 27 of insulating 'material' and: forms a solenoid coil 26.. Plate 27 is.- secured. to. 13 and projects at. one side thereof and. has an aperture 28 (see. Fig. 2") therethroug-h. One end of. a flat spring 29-passes across 28 and is secured to-27 by screw 30, which: screw also secures one; end of coil 2.6 t'o- 27,. thereby electrically connecting the coil. to: the spring. Spring 29 has its free; end angularlybent back toward thescoil and has secured-thereto a con:- t'act point. 31 which is adapted to engage contact 32 secured to a flat spring 33 fas tened; to" plate 27 by screw 34:, which screw also tastens wire 35- to 27,.thereby elect-ricall'y connecting wire 35 to; spring 33.

Withincylinder 13 isthe solenoid. core 36 which projects downwardly to about. the center of vessel. 10. at the. time. contacts 31 and 32 are engaged. The upper end of core 36 project's upwardly at such] time toabout the. center of coil 26.- and may be cupped as shown in; Fig. 2,.and has secured therein the nonrmagnetic; rod: 371, which extends to. the topiof thecont'roller. In the top ofcylinder 13 is. tubularmagnetic. member 38', which extends a short distance-into. coil 26. With.- in member 38 and loosely surrounding rod 37 is a: non-magnetictube 39-, the lower end of which: rests on core 36 and the upper-end extends; to nearly thetopofmember 38, Sunrounding rod: 37 andznorma'll'y resting onthe topof member, which fordistinction will be called magnet 38, is a thin washer l0 of nonmagnetic material. Adjustably secured by screw to the upper end of rod 37 is a breaker disk of non-magnetic material 41 having a neck 42. A bearing 13 is secured upon the projecting part of plate 27 and has rockably mounted therein switch lever 1 1. The outer end is heavier than the inner end and when the solenoid circuit is inert lever lat assumes positions as shown in Figs. 1 and The inner end of lever 14L carries a screw 15 which passes therethrough in threaded contact therewith and through aperture 28 in plate 27 when the inner end of the lever is engaged and brought down by breaker disk 41, which disk is brought down by gravity acting on the disk and parts connected thereto after the solenoid circuit is opened. \Vire 35 is connected to wire 46 which is connected to a source of electrical energy (not shown) and also to a contact bar 47 secured to the base block &8, to which block vessel 10 is secured. Block 48 is adapted to be fastened in any place of use. A second contact bar 4-9 spaced from bar 17 is secured to block l8. Bar 49 is connected by wire 50 with the place of use, the flasher signs, not shown.

fire 51 is the return or ground wire. lVire 52 connects coil 26 with wire 51. When the flasher signs are active, bars 47 and 49 are connected by a washer 53 of mag netic material which rests thereon and loose-- ly surrounds neck 42 of the breaker disk 41. On neck 42 are placed as many rubber washers 5e as may be desired to raise washer 53 the distance above bars a7 and l?) to render the flasher sign circuit inactive the required time. By using more or less washers, the relative time of activity and inactivity of the flasher signs is varied.

In the position of parts shown in Fig. 1, the flasher sign circuit is in full activity and the solenoid circuit is just closed. The closure of the solenoid circuit causes core 36 to be drawn upward and magnet 88 to become magnetic which draws the inner end of lever 4&1. down upon washer a0 and holds it there until it is pried ofi' by the upward movement oi tube 39, thereby overcoin' the magnetic power of magnet 38 and per mitting the inner end of lever 4- 1: to rise and thereby disengage contacts 31 and 32 which opens the solenoid circuit. The upward movement of core 36 carries washer 53 oil bars -17 and 49 thereby opening the flasher sign circuit and rendering the signs inert. As core 36 was carried upward, oil entered tube 13 and followed up the core. As soon as the upward movement ceased, ball 16 dropped and closed port 15 and the time of the descent of core 36 is regulated by the amount of oil that is permitted to flow from port 18. As the core descends disk 41 contacts with the inner end of lever 44 and Leas es carries it downward, screw 45 again causes contacts 31 and 32 to engage at which time the solenoid circuit is established, the coil energized and the core again rises until the solenoid circuit is broken as before explained. It will be observed that the upward movement of the core is rapid and the descent slow and that the upward movement of the core breaks both circuits, the flasher sign circuit being broken in advance of the solenoid circuit and that in the descent of the core the flasher sign circuit is closed and active before the solenoid circuit is closed and active.

The times of activity and inactivity of the flasher sign circuit can be varied by adjusting ll on 37 or by putting washers on or taking washers oil? 12.

The flasher sign circuit will be called the work circuit and the solenoid circuit the operating circuit.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a circuit opening and closing device for electric circuits the combination with a stationary terminal; of a pivoted lever carrying a co-operating movable terminal, said lever having one end heavier than the other, the heavier end being adapted to cause the separation of the terminals when free to act; a solenoid connected to said stationary terminal; a core for said solenoid; a nonmagnetizable stem for said core; a tube on said stem; a magnetizable washer surrounding said stem and projecting within the solenoid winding and resting thereon; a nonmagnetizable washer on the other washer; and adjustable means carried by the stem to cause the engagement of said terminals when the solenoid is de-energized.

2. In a circuit opening and closing device for electric circuits the combination with a stationary terminal; of a pivoted lever carrying a co-operating movable terminal, said lever having an end adapted to cause the separation of the terminals when free to act; a solenoid connected to said stationary terminal; a core for said solenoid; a nonmagnetizable stem for said core; a tube on Said stem; a magnetizable washer on said stem and projecting within the solenoid windings and having a head resting thereon; a nonmagnetizable washer upon the other washer; adjustable means carried by the stem to cause the engagement of the terminals when the solenoid is de-energized; and regulatable means for retarding the downward movement of the solenoid core.

3. In a circuit opening and closing device for electric circuits the combination with a stationary terminal; of a pivoted lever carrying a co-operating movable terminal, said lever having an end adapted to cause the separation of the terminals when free to act; a solenoid connected to said stationary terminal; a core forsaid solenoid; a

nonmagnetizable stem for said core; a tube on said stem; a magnetizable Washer on said stem and projecting Within the solenoid windings and having a head resting thereon; a nonmagnetizable Washer on the other washer; adjustable means carried by the stem to cause the engagement of the terminals when the solenoid is deenergized; reguiatable means for retarding the down Ward movement of the solenoid core. 10

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of April 1924.

GEORGE HESSE; 

